Monday, August 18, 2025

So, what's for supper and other inane questions

 Inane Inane Inane

I like that word.  It fits so much in my world. 

Another word that I took JOY in using during a band rehearsal was asinine.  It sounds so close to being dirty.  Shock and Awe.   You can use certain words to shock students into listening to you.  "What's he gonna say next?"  Flip-Flops.  I really do hate seeing flip flops. When I was much younger - the year had to be about 1965 or 66 - we made a driving trip to California to visit uncles and great aunts.  We took 2 cars.  My parents were in one; we were in the other; and, several family members rode along.  It was a nice LONG trip from Levelland.  First trip to Disneyland and Knotts berry farm.

In California that trip was the first time I saw flip-flops.  Out there, some were calling them Come Alongs.  Okay.  But they were also called thongs.  Look at their construction.  Thongs fits.  For years, I was naive and used the thong name.  Eventually, someone told me that THONG was a name for a certain type of underwear.  I didn't know.  How was I to know?  Still, in a fit of "gotchas" I would use the Thong name.  It suited me just fine.  

Family stone:  on that trip, our oldest daughter was just learning to walk and talk.  Still, her diaper was supreme.  You had to work around dirty diapers.  And, I believe we didn't have anything but cloth ones.  Maybe there were the others.  I don't remember since I rarely changed one.  One day, we had a particularly good lunch and then went out on the California town.  A few hours later, the diaper filled.  My mother, who had a way with the English language, chose to change the "dirty" diaper.  I hate dirty diapers  {Dirty is NOT the same as Wet}.  As she began the task, I heard her cry out,  "DANG CORN!!"  You can imagine the diaper contents.  Exactly at that moment, the baby cried out,  "DANG CORN!!"   Her first complete sentence at an appropriate time.  Occasionally today, you might here one of our family exclaim,  "Dang Corn!" at an appropriate time.   It says it all.

Speaking of language, mom was not shy about her language.  She and my father had several words in their vocabulary - or dictionary.  They were both born in 1910 and lived pretty much in the back woods of Oklahoma.  She = Kaw City (now a lake)  and  He = Temple, Okla.  One of my mom's favorites in the above mentioned dirty diaper area, was when a child had a loose movement, she would proclaim:   "Shizzalin Grits."  You can work on those 2 words if you wish.  It says it all again.  I was somewhere in my 20s before I figured out what she was saying.  Naive is my middle name.

But, this was not what I planned to write about.  We all get lost at times.

----First of all, we have 3 dogs in this house.  One is named Bella.  This morning, Bella shook the house as she began a barking fit that was soon joined by the others.   We are planning to give her the  --    Bella No Peace Prize.   We're hoping she qualifies.

-----Speaking of animals.... I read online that at a certain age (we're there already)  Women begin to collect dogs.  Some get several cats instead.  Cat Ladies, yet.  This is called:   "Many Paws" amongst polite company.

====I heard about a cat in Australia who roams the neighborhood and steals clothes off clotheslines.  He carries them home and embarrasses his parents.  Underwear, one sock, whatever.  You'd think people might be offended.  The owners post photos of the items for retrieval.  It is said that some neighbors are getting mad - why? - because the cat has not stolen anything from them.  Who'd a thought?

-----On Facebook this lady was so excited because she had had a fox come into her backyard.  Took a photo.  She said the fox was looking carefully at her and her little dog.   Yep, the picture was a Coyote.  The lady had been putting out food and water.  Readers jumped in to let her know that the Coyote was looking to eat the little dog {and maybe her}.  I suggested she put out a humane trap.  Then, she could dump it off on the neighboring County Courthouse lawn.  .  .  late at night.   I have a cousin who use to catch squirrels in his back yard.  He would turn them loose on the Courthouse lawn.  He says this is true.  Not in Texas -  Nebraska, I believe.

-----One final thing.  My wife has certain problems.  She is not really secure walking.  Her memory is  not working properly.  The other night, I got up to take care of certain business.  As I walked around the foot of the bed, there she was sitting on the floor.  I asked the obvious, "What are you doing down there?" She explained how she slid off the edge of the bed as she was getting up.  Out bed is really too tall.  I knew better.  I helped her up.  No harm done.  She said I was sleeping so good, she didn't want to wake me.  

The next day - Amazon - I ordered a Step 2 bed thingy.  It is a 3 ft long step with handles that fits securely beside the bed.  Adjustable height.  We found that 3" from the floor was the best.  The Step 2 comes with a motion activated LED light that lights up half the house. This is a good thing. Consider it if you have the same problem.  Hopefully, our problem is solved.  The light is pretty bright.

More later.  I have a list of many subjects including Destination Weddings, the Dull Men's Club website, certain Facebook complaints, DQ, TV, real time police shows on TV, eating lemons, bassoons, HEB store,  Lipton instant diet tea, what's for supper .... ah, the list never ends.

lov ya,  mtz           

Monday, August 4, 2025

63 yrs

 Tomorrow is our anniversary.  My wife & I were married on a Saturday, August 5, 1962.  The wedding was held at the First Baptist Church chapel of Levelland, Texas, with the First Methodist Church preacher doing the officiating.

It was 63 years ago.  We had a honeymoon destination of the Grand Canyon.  Later, I may give details of all of this.  Not tonight.  Too busy watching TV.

Later,

M